Joe Burrow in it for 'long haul' with Cincinnati Bengals - ESPN

CINCINNATI — Five days before his season opener, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow affirmed his desire to remain in stripes.

In an interview with the team's website, Burrow said he wants to stay with the club for the foreseeable future. Since he returned from a turf toe injury in late 2025, there has been outside speculation about whether he wanted to remain with the Bengals despite the lack of success in recent years.

«I'm here for the long haul,» Burrow told Bengals.com. «I'm not going anywhere. I'm just trying to bring a now-or-never mentality to the day-by-day process. If you're not, what are you doing? Attack the day with a championship mindset. The rest will take care of itself.»

In the interview published Tuesday, one day before Burrow meets with reporters to discuss the team's opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the seventh-year quarterback referenced earlier comments made this summer. Following the joint practice against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 20, Burrow was asked why he has been so vocal this offseason about his championship aspirations for this year's team.

Burrow said he wanted to not only try to speak it into existence but also instill the sense of urgency needed to make the Bengals contenders again. In a follow-up question, Burrow was asked if he was treating 2026 as a «now or never» season, to which he agreed. «That's how I'm treating it, for sure.»

In the report published by the team, Burrow acknowledged his comments can leave wiggle room. «I'm efficient with my words, and when I'm efficient with my words, that leaves some room for interpretation,» Burrow said.

But the objective for the Bengals has been clear all offseason. After a 6-11 season in 2025, Cincinnati missed the playoffs for